The Hughson Huskies will venture away from home to square off against the Soquel Knights at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Hughson 2.7, Soquel 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Hughson took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They came out on top against Hilmar by a score of 8-4.
Bryce McDaniel made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Beau Blake, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Andrew Fisher was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Hughson kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Soquel had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. Everything went their way against the Cougars as they made off with a 14-1 win. Considering the Knights have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Soquel also got a great performance from Nativo Gonzalez as he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). Those seven strikeouts gave Gonzalez a new career-high.
At the plate, Hudson Summerrill was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Enzo Goff, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Soquel pushed their record up to 16-1 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Hughson, they are on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-3 record this season.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hughson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .380. However, it's not like Soquel struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hughson beat Soquel 4-0 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Huskies repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
